TopwaterintermediateGulf Coast & Emerald Coast
The Gurgler
$7.50
Available Sizes#1/0 - #2/0
Color Variations
ChartreuseWhiteBlackRed/White
Strip this across a flat at dawn and wait for the explosion. There is no subtlety here -- the Gurgler pushes a wake like a tiny tugboat and redfish hit it like they have a personal vendetta. The sound it makes is somewhere between a kiss and an argument. Jack Gartside invented it and left the rest of us grateful.
Quick Facts
TypeTopwater
Difficultyintermediate
SeasonsSpring, Summer, Fall
Target SpeciesRedfish, Speckled Trout, Jack Crevalle
Sizes#1/0 - #2/0
Best LocationsDestin, FL; Calcasieu Lake, LA; Port O'Connor, TX; Mobile Bay, AL
Where to Fish It
Destin
FL · Flats
Calcasieu Lake
LA · Marsh
Port O'Connor
TX · Flats
Mobile Bay
AL · Flats
Map unavailable. Locations for The Gurgler: Destin, FL; Calcasieu Lake, LA; Port O'Connor, TX; Mobile Bay, AL
Related Reading
region guide
The Complete Guide to Gulf Coast Redfish on the Fly
The Gulf Coast is redfish country. Whether you're poling across Louisiana's spartina grass flats or wading the sand-bottomed shallows of Laguna Madre, these copper-colored brutes will test your nerves, your casting, and your fly selection. Here's everything you need to know.
seasonal playbook
The Summer Guide: Long Days and Willing Fish
Summer is fly fishing's season of abundance. Sixteen-hour days, prolific hatches, aggressive fish, and the full spectrum from mountain trout to saltwater flats. This is your playbook for making the most of the warmest, longest, most generous months of the fishing year.
species science
The Copper Bruiser: Redfish Biology for Fly Anglers
Redfish are built to eat in water you can walk through. Their lateral line detects vibration in zero-visibility mud, their underslung jaw is a crustacean-crushing machine, and their temperature tolerance keeps them feeding when other species shut down. Understanding their biology makes you a better angler.
hatch guide
Saltwater Forage: Matching the Bait
In saltwater fly fishing, there are no hatches — there is forage. Mullet, shrimp, crabs, baitfish, and worms drive every feeding event on the flats, in the surf, and along the mangrove edges. Understanding the forage base and matching it precisely is the difference between a fish of a lifetime and an empty line.
technique
Barometric Pressure and Fishing: Fact vs. Fiction
Every angler has heard it: 'The barometer's falling — the fish are gonna feed.' But how much of barometric pressure lore is actual science, and how much is confirmation bias wrapped in a fishing vest? The answer is more nuanced than either camp wants to admit.
technique
Solunar Tables: Science, Myth, and Practical Use
Solunar theory claims that the gravitational pull of the moon and sun creates predictable periods of peak animal activity. Saltwater anglers swear by it. Freshwater anglers roll their eyes. The truth, as usual, lives somewhere in between — and the practical implications might surprise you.
technique
After Dark: The Night Fishing Guide
The largest brown trout in any river feeds almost exclusively at night. The biggest smallmouth in your favorite river moves into the shallows after dark. And the redfish on the marsh flat feed through the night on every tide. Night fishing is where trophy hunters go when they get serious — here's how to join them.
You Might Also Like
TopwaterintermediateCrease Fly
$7.95Gulf Coast & Emerald Coast
#1/0 - #2/0
Joe Blados' folded foam topwater that creates an erratic, side-to-side action. The fly that makes jacks lose their minds.
Silver/BlueChartreuse/WhiteBoneOlive/White
Jack Crevalle · Spanish Mackerel · Redfish · Speckled Trout · Ladyfish
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
TopwaterintermediatePop's Banger
$8.95Gulf Coast & Emerald Coast
#1/0 - #2/0
Bob Popovics' hard-bodied popper. The cupped face creates a loud pop that calls fish from distance. Not subtle. Not meant to be.
Chartreuse/WhiteBoneYellowRed/White
Redfish · Speckled Trout · Jack Crevalle · Snook
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
TopwateradvancedDahlberg Diver
$9.50Gulf Coast & Emerald Coast
#1/0 - #2/0
Spun deer hair head creates a popping, diving action. Originally for bass, now a Gulf Coast classic for reds in skinny water.
Chartreuse/WhiteRed/WhiteNatural Deer HairBlack
Redfish · Snook · Jack Crevalle
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
TopwaterintermediateDeer Hair Popper
$9.50Gulf Coast & Emerald Coast
#1/0 - #2/0
Spun and clipped deer hair popper for shallow water action. The classic topwater for everything from redfish to largemouth bass.
Chartreuse/WhiteRed/WhiteNaturalBlack
Redfish · Speckled Trout · Largemouth Bass · Snook
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
BaitfishbeginnerThe Clouser Minnow
$6.95Gulf Coast & Emerald Coast
#2 - #1/0
Tied by Nick Vlahos
The most versatile saltwater fly ever tied. Lead eyes sink it into the strike zone. Chartreuse/white is the Gulf Coast standard.
Chartreuse/WhiteOlive/WhiteAll WhiteTan/White
Redfish · Speckled Trout · Jack Crevalle · Ladyfish · Spanish Mackerel · Flounder
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
BaitfishintermediateHalf & Half
$7.95Gulf Coast & Emerald Coast
#1 - #2/0
Clouser front married to a Deceiver rear. The best of both worlds -- lead eyes for depth, saddle hackle for profile.
Chartreuse/WhiteOlive/WhiteAll WhiteRed/White
Speckled Trout · Redfish · Jack Crevalle · Spanish Mackerel · Flounder
SprSumFallWin
View Details →